Welcome to my blog. This blog is all about writing tips for writers and teachers of writing. Twice monthly, I will address one aspect of writing. I will also post tips about no-fee contests and calls for submissions by publishers.
If you would like to know more about me or my books, check out my website at www.nancykellyallen.com

Nancy's Books

Sunday, November 2, 2014

The genres in
children’s novels are about as diverse as those in adult fiction. Today, let’s
look at mysteries for middle grade readers. Mysteries have their own set of
rules that make the genre distinct.

Know your audience.
This age group is beginning to find their place in the world outside family.
Peer and peer pressure is ever present. Many books for these readers have no
parents in the narrative or parents are an insignificant part of the plot and
characterization. Give the main character a best friend or someone who can help
figure out ideas and clues. Add some people who do not want the character to
figure out the mystery.

Begin with action or
suspense and introduce the mystery early. Plot is king with mysteries. The plot
is the most important ingredient because the reader is involved and views the
story as a game or puzzle to solve.

Know the story ending
BEFORE you begin writing. You need to know the answer to the mystery so you can
add the real and false clues.

Introduce the
character who is solving the mystery and the villain who is trying to keep the
character from solving the mystery early in the book. Other possible suspects
can be introduced early as well.

The Fountain 100th Issue Essay Contest. The Fountain invites you
to join us in celebrating our 100th issue. Write an essay to yourself on your
100th birthday. What would you say to yourself at that age? What would your
100-year-old self tell you back? Would it be a conversation of praise and/or regret?
Perhaps praise for the achievements in your career, but regrets about a lost
family? Or warnings about the mistakes you made in your projected future or in
your past; pitfalls you happened to be dragged into, temptations you could not
resist; or celebrations for the good character you were able to display and
sustain over a life; a precious life wasted or a life lived as it was meant to
be.

2 comments:

Kids love mysteries and editors love mysteries so that's a win-win. That genre is popular at all times, especially if you embed humor throughout. Not continuously, but bits and pieces. Give it a try and have fun with it.

Contact Me

Name

Email
*

Message
*

Liebster Award

About Me

My route to writing children’s books has more twists and turns than a winding mountain road. I worked as a social worker and traveled many a winding road, uphill and down, around Hazard, Kentucky. Later, I became an elementary school teacher, and then a school librarian. After spending days introducing books to children, I spent nights writing books for them. At this point I have written over 30 picture books, one chapter book, and one middle grade novel. I have a master’s degree in Education from Morehead State University and a master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky. Home is still in Kentucky in the log cabin in which I grew up. My husband, Larry, and I share our cabin with two canine writer assistants, Jazi and Roxi.